Folding top for vehicles



WILLIAM S. RAWSON, OF BRIDGEEORT, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDING TOP I 'OR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters latent. v Patented July 2'7, 1920.

Application filed October 22. 1917. Serial No. 197,783.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, WiLLL-mr S. RAWSON, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, (ounty oiFairfield, and State o'l. Connecticut, have invented an Improvement inFolding Tops for Vehicles, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to folding tops for vehicles, and is moreespecially concerned with a bow-holder for holding the bows of the topin place when the latter is folded. My invention will be best understoodby reference to the following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while itsscope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion oi a vehicle top having abow-holder embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

'ferring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention which isillustrated therein, 1 have shown a portion of a vehicle top comprisinga plurality of bows 3, "1 5 and 6, the latter resting on a bow support"7, which be 0t any suitable form but is herein provided with a channelor groove 8, suitably shaped to receive the lowermost how 6. This howsupport is herein provid d with an ear 9, apertured o receive a top iron10. which is secured therein by a set-screw 11. The bows may be spacedapart by any suitable means, herein a set oi bow spacers 12, 1215 and 11, interposed between the bows and adapted to hold the latter suitablyspaced apart, as well as against lateral displacement.

As a means for urging the bows toward the bow support, and holding themfirmly but with somewhat yielding pressure, I have provided twooppositely facing hooks and 16, the upper hook engaging the uppermostbow and the lower hook engaging the bow support, while suital'iloresilient means, here in in the form of a spring 1'4, is suitably connected to said hooks to draw them toward each other, thereby to urge thebows toward the bow support. This spring may be other-. wiseappropriately connected to the hooks, but in the present example thelatter are formed on two telescopically arranged members 18 and 19,respectively. The member 18 is provided with a cylindrical bore 20 to reccive the spring 17, the latter abutting at one end against a movableabutment 21 carried by themember 19, and the other end against a fixedabutment 22 threaded into the member 18. V

' The upper hook 15 maybe, and is herein provided with a suitablecushion 23, preferablyformed of rubber or similar yielding material,having a shank or stem 24 extending through an aperture in the hook 15,whereby the cushion is attached to and held in its proper relation withthe hook at all times. The lower hook 16 in the present example entersan opening 25 in the bow support 7, thus interlocking with the latterandbeing held against accidental displacement.

As a means for enabling the bow-holder to be temporarily elongated inattaching it to or detaching it from the bows and bowholder, I haveherein provided a suitable handle 26 having two laterally projectingportions 27, upon which the fingers may be placed, thereby to exert adownward pull on the member 19 to compress the spring and to enable thehook 16 to be engaged with or disengaged from the opening 25 at will.The bow-holder is applied to the bows by first hooking the upper hook 15over the uppermost how 3, then grasping the handle 26 and exerting adownward pull thereon, thereby to elongate the holder, next placing thelower hook 16 in proper registration with the opening 25, and finallyreleasing the handle thereby to permit the lower hook to enter itsaperture under the influence of the spring. lVhcn once the holder is applied, it retains the bows securely, yet with somewhat yieldingpressure. It may be instantly removed by a reversal of the foregoingoperating, and when removed may be stored in any convenient place aboutthe vehicle, thus leaving the other parts of the top free fromencumbrance.

While I have herein shown and described one specific form or embodimentof my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed anddiscussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to onespecific application thereof, it is to be understood that the inventionis limited neither to the more details or relative arrangement of parts,nor to its specific embodiment here in shown, but that extensivedeviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention maybe made, without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what Ifclaim and desire by LettersPatent to secure is 1. In a folding top for vehicles, the combination ofa set of bows, a bow-support provided with a depression to receive thelowermost bow and having a lateral projection provided with an openingat one side of said depression, two telescopically arranged members oneof which is hollow and the other working therein, said members beingprovided with oppositely facing hooks, oneoi which engages the uppermostbow and the other of which enters said opening'and engages saidbow-support, and one of said members being provided with a handle forrelatively extending said members, and a spring located within one ofsaid members and tending to collapse said memsaid members being providedwith a handle having a pair of laterally projecting portions, and aspring connected to said members and tending to draw said hooks towardeach other thereby to urge said bows toward said support.

' In testlmony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

. WILLIAM s. 'RA'WsoN.

